


My best friend rules the galaxy

by axlaru



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends - All Media Types
Genre: Alcohol, Best Friends, Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-02
Updated: 2016-08-02
Packaged: 2018-07-28 20:11:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7655029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/axlaru/pseuds/axlaru
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mara Jade realizes Leia is her best friend after a surprising night out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	My best friend rules the galaxy

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this for Operaticspacetrash's Mara Jade fanfic exchange on tumblr.   
> My prompt was Mara realizing that Leia is her best friend.   
> (Sorry I suck at titles.)

Mara looked around the bar, and spotted Leia sitting at a small round table in the corner. As Mara approached the politician, she watched as a small group of beings in the clothes of rich lobbyists mobbed Leia’s table. 

“Excuse me, I have a private meeting with the Princess,” Mara said when she got to the table. Most of the lobbyists left, reluctantly, however, a particularly stubborn Bothan was completely ignoring Mara. She tapped him on the shoulder, but he continued talking at Leia, who rolled her eyes. 

“I need you to take bring this up in the senate, Princess. It’s vital,” the Bothan said. “Just let me show yo--” 

“I’m busy right now,” Leia said. “Perhaps you can bring this up to Senator Fey’lya?” 

“He’s off planet, and this needs to be done immedia--” 

“Leave,” Mara said. 

“Excuse me, who are you?” the Bothan turned to look at Mara finally. 

“Mara Jade Skywalker,” Mara said. She reached out to shake his hand, but he ignored her and turned back to Leia. 

“I need to start a petition to--” 

“What you need to do is leave us alone,” Mara said. This time she, reluctantly, put some Force suggestion behind her words. The Bothan tried to ignore her, but finally gave in and left the table. Mara slid into the seat that he was blocking. “I don’t know how you do it, Leia. I would probably snap at people every day.” 

“I grew up with it, remember?” Leia laughed. “But thank you for that, Bothans can be--” 

“Hardheaded?” 

“I was going to say persistent, but that works too.” 

“So what did you want to talk about?” Mara asked. Leia had called her the day before, and asked to meet up to talk. 

“Honestly? I’m just desperate to talk to someone other than a politician or a moody teenager.” 

“That bad, huh?” 

“It was bad enough when just the twins were teenagers, but now, with Anakin it’s unbearable.” 

“I was talking about the politicians,” Mara said. 

“Actually, yeah, that probably is worse than my kids. At least their off being productive jedi students. The Senate isn’t getting anything done. But that’s how senates are, I suppose. Anyway, how are you Mara?” 

“I’m, well-- I miss being part of Karrde’s gang. I was more relaxed when I worked with them.” 

“You, relaxed? I don’t think so. I’ve never seen it, anyway,” Leia said. She took a sip of her drink before continuing. “I do understand wanting to go back. Sometimes I miss the days of the rebellion. I felt much more productive then than I have even as Chief of State.” 

“You could always quit politics, and complete your Jedi training,” Mara said. “I know there are plenty of people who’d welcome you at the academy.” 

“And probably quite a few who’d be glad to see me out of politics.” Leia laughed. “I could probably join the military, become a General instead. Wouldn’t that be something?” 

Mara laughed, and waved over a bartender to order a Corellian whiskey. “Are you collecting titles or something? Princess, Senator, Chief of State, now you want to be a General too?” 

“I do have a lot of titles, don’t I?” Leia said. She took another sip of her drink. “Speaking of titles, how is ‘Jedi Master’ sounding to you?” 

“I’m not quite there yet, Leia. Just because I’m married to the boss doesn’t mean I’m automatically promoted.” The bartender handed Mara her glass, “Thanks.” Mara paused and took a sip of the whiskey. “I’m not even sure I really deserve it anyway.” 

“Why wouldn’t you, Mara? You’re probably more powerful than anyone else in the order.” 

“More powerful than Luke?” Mara raised an eyebrow. 

“Well, you did overcome the emperor’s will. As far as I know, very few people have managed to do that.” 

“That was a technicality. I’d probably still be the Hand, if not for that clone.” 

“I doubt that,” Leia said. “You knew it wasn’t really Luke, but it still worked. That had to have been your own will power or something.” 

“Why are we talking about this?” Mara was surprised by how uncomfortable this discussion was making her. She and Luke had talked about it some in the years since, but not often. And he was the only person she’d talked about it with. “When was the last time we’ve hung out like this?” 

“Never?” Leia said. “Or maybe before you got married. We are busy people.” 

“Exactly. THat means we need to stop talking about work, and do something fun.” 

“Something Han and Luke would never do?” 

“What did you have in mind?” Mara asked, before downing the last of her whiskey and ordering another. 

“They’d never get caught dead at the spa--” 

Mara shook her head. “Luke goes once a month. He says he likes to have a quiet place to meditate every once in awhile, as if the Jedi temple isn’t quiet enough. Well, when there isn’t someone trying to destroy it, or if the kids aren’t accidentally crashing rocks through buildings or something. I think he goes for the manicures.” 

“I had noticed my brother has awfully nice nails,” Leia said. 

“Yeah, not something you’d expect from a farm boy like him.” 

“So no spa? Got credits?” Leia finished her drink in a gulp. “I haven’t hit the Sabacc tables in a while.” 

“Let’s do it.” 

 

A little while later, the women found themselves at a Sabacc table in a seedy bar that even Han would be hesitant to go to. They were playing against a dark-furred wookiee and two rodians, all of whom were getting increasingly upset every time Leia or Mara won a hand. Apparently they weren’t used to newcomers winning. 

“I’ll bet they think we’re cheating,” Leia leaned over and whispered to Mara. 

“Nah, they know we’re not,” Mara said. “The rodian on the left seems particularly upset. Like maybe he was expecting to win everything.” 

“We threw off his game,” Leia said, grinning. She played out their current hand, beating everyone with a bluff. “Maybe we should let him win a round or two.” 

“Nah,” Mara said. “That would be cheating. We’ve been playing fair and square.” 

“Another round, boys?” Leia asked. “Or have you lost enough?” 

“I’m out of credits,” the rodian on the right said. “I’m out.” He got up from the table and headed for the bar. 

The wookiee growled in agreement, and headed off to sit at a booth with some other wookiees. 

“How about you?” Mara asked the other rodian. 

“I’m in.” He bet all his remaining credits. “But only if you go all-in.” 

“Fine,” Leia agreed. She pushed the button to deal the next hand. 

Mara looked at her hand, shaking her hand. “I’m out. You want another drink?” 

“Sure, get me some Corellian Reserve.” 

“Got it.” Mara slipped out of her chair and headed for the bar. When she came back with the drinks, Leia was claiming all of the credits with her winning hand, an Idiot's Array.

The rodian begrudgingly reached across the table and shook Leia’s hand. “You are an excellent player. It’s been a very long time since I’ve lost so badly.” He stepped away from the table to rejoin his friend at the bar. 

“That was--” 

“Civil,” Leia said. “To be honest, I’m a little disappointed.” 

“Why?” Mara asked. “You won.” 

“I was hoping they would get mad and pick a fight,” Leia admitted. “Give me an excuse to works some pent up aggression out.” 

“Can you imagine the headlines?” Mara cackled. 

“‘Chief of State in bar brawl, has she turned to the dark side like her father?’ That would be amusing.” Leia grinned. 

“I think I’ve seen that headline before, actually,” Mara said. 

“Me too,” Leia said. She finished the brandy Mara had brought over, then said, “Maybe we should just go to the temple and spar instead.”

“Yeah, maybe. Though I was thinking of some old hide outs where we could find a really good bar brawl that’s probably already in progress.” 

“Show me,” Leia said. She got up from the table and led her sister-in-law out of the bar. 

“Okay, but let’s pick up some disguises on the way,” Mara said. 

“Got it.” 

 

An hour later, when Mara got back to her and Luke’s quarters she was grinning. 

“I take it you and Leia had a good time,” Luke said, sensing Mara’s elevated mood, before actually turning to look at her. “Sithspit, Mara, how did you manage to get that black eye?” 

“I had to defend my best friend from some thugs. Don’t worry, we didn’t hurt them too bad. Well, Leia may have accidentally broken a guy’s leg, and I might have knocked a woman out, but she’ll arrange for everyone’s medical bills to be covered.” 

Luke stared at Mara, eyes wide. 

“Oh relax, Luke. I’m just kidding. We were sparring, and I didn’t manage to dodge one of Leia’s kicks. She can kick pretty high, for someone so short. Don't tell her I said that.”


End file.
